Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Hit by Donations Theft Claims After Ayodhya Ram Mandir Row; Trust Orders Probe

New Delhi: Days after the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Donation Theft Row sparked nationwide outrage, similar allegations have now surfaced at the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Dham in Uttarakhand, prompting the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) to order a formal inquiry and seek explanations from officials involved in counting donations following claims circulating on social media.

BKTC Chairman Hemant Dwivedi affirmed that the allegations were being treated with the "utmost seriousness" and assured that strict action would be taken if any wrongdoing were established.

Addressing the controversy, Dwivedi said the Temple Committee had already initiated action within 24 hours of the allegations surfacing.

He confirmed that the chief executive officer had issued show-cause notices to employees and officials associated with the counting of offerings, while an inquiry committee had been constituted to conduct an impartial, fact-based investigation.

"The committee will submit its report at the earliest, and it will be made public. Anyone found guilty will face strict action in accordance with the rules," he said.

Chairman Refutes 'Personal Secretary' Claim

Dwivedi also dismissed claims circulating on social media that one of the employees under scrutiny was his personal secretary.

Clarifying the matter, he said the individual is a regular employee of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee and had previously served as a personal assistant to three former BKTC chairmen.

"I do not have a personal secretary. The employee being referred to is a regular Temple Committee staff member," he said, adding that the investigation would determine the veracity of all allegations.

Saints Demand Transparency

Reacting to the controversy, Swami Gopalacharya, National President of the Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samiti, said any alleged misuse of donations made by devotees was deeply unfortunate.

He called for stricter laws to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of temple donations, saying committees overseeing religious institutions should include individuals devoted to Sanatan Dharma who are free from personal interests.

What is the Ram Temple Donation Row?

The case stems from allegations by former Samajwadi Party MLA Pawan Pandey, who claimed that ₹7 crore to ₹7.5 crore in temple donations had been misappropriated.

Following the allegations, an FIR was registered on June 25, while the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter at the request of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Trust.

The SIT continues to trace the financial trail, examine documents recovered during raids and investigate the role of those responsible for handling cash and valuables donated by devotees.

Who are the Eight Accused?

The eight accused named in the FIR are:

• Anukalp Mishra, who allegedly counted the temple donations.
• Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra's brother-in-law, from whose residence ₹10 lakh in cash was allegedly recovered.
• Manish Yadav, Tinnu Yadav's nephew, from whose house cash was also recovered.
• Subhash Srivastava, who allegedly participated in counting the cash.
• Avinash Shukla, allegedly involved in counting temple donations.
• Karunesh Pandey, who allegedly assisted in calculating the donations.
• Ramashankar Mishra, who allegedly took part in counting the cash.

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